Saturdays are for…

Slowing DOWN!!!! Quiet Times with God.

Hair cuts…Playing outside in beautiful unseasonably warm weather…Laughing with the kiddos…

 

What are your Saturdays for? Leave a comment, I can’t wait to hear what you are up to…

His Story!

So the Bible Study I have been attending and enjoying and growing in is taking a break for the summer.  Today we listened/watched to Iva May on a DVD tell God’s story in about 45 minutes.  Her blog is ivamaystories.blogspot.com

I was in awe of God’s design of the world, His constant pointing to and drawing people lost and sinful to Him.  I love that through all that is included in His word, the Bible, we can see His mighty hand weaving the desire to redeem and draw us into relationship with Him.  However what struck me most is that God uses ordinary people.  Yes, like you reading this blog and like me writing it.  He uses US to accomplish His will, His plan, His purpose.  So the choices you make today matter for eternity.  I am sure you are thinking how does choosing to brush my teeth or not matter for eternity?  Ok, please I am not trying to spiritualize everything, but even brushing your teeth can be done for the Lord.  He gave you the body you have and created it especially for you.  When you take care of your body, if you are doing it with the thought that God made me and He loves me and even though there are parts I would like smaller or bigger, it is still amazing and wonderful.  Then you are brushing your teeth for the Lord.  Oh, that I would drive for the Lord, brush my teeth for the Lord, shower for the Lord.  That I would be intentional in everything I say and do so that it would be an act of worship to the Lord.  Isn’t that what He has called us to do?  To be stewards of ALL He has given us.  That means the money from the job, the house, the body, the time He has given us.  Oh, to be so filled with His Spirit that I would wash the dishes to His honor, that I would do the laundry for Him.  That all that I do would be to honor and glorify Him in His story.  Not in making my own story, my own way.  But resting in His story and taking His yoke on me that I can let my burdens stay at His feet and do only what He has for me to do.

That is my prayer to be part of His story!

Weary? Heavy Laden? Come!

Sweet Rest...

Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

How many of us need rest? Rest for our weary souls. Rest for the aching in our hearts. Rest from a hectic schedule. Rest. There are days that rest seems to be a mirage in the dessert of busy-ness. However often it isn’t the physical rest that I even need. It is that soul weariness that comes from disappointments, unmet expectations, dashed hopes, broken promises, dreams deferred or even dreams demolished. Our souls are even more weary when we do not stop at the feet of the only One who can give us rest. Jesus.

You’ve already read that Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I WILL give you rest.” It is wonderful that we can find rest in Jesus. We can come to Him and lay our burdens down at His feet and rest in Him. Although we find rest as Jesus promises when we come to Him we often find ourselves burdened and weary and weighed down again soon. Have you ever gone to church or Bible study or a ladies retreat just weary and ready for rest? You get there and almost as soon as the first song is sung or the first speaker speaks, you find the rest for which you have been looking. Oh, but on the way home that burden is building up in you. You feel your shoulders tense each mile you draw closer to home and you are NO LONGER at rest. You are no longer at Jesus’ feet and so you have picked up your burden again and carried it with you. So I have only figured this out recently, but Jesus doesn’t want you JUST to lay your burden at His feet. He doesn’t only what you to find rest. He wants you to find rest for your souls. That deep abiding rest. However that rest only comes when you lay your burden at His feet and take up His yoke. Yes, trade your burden that is bigger than you, that is more than you, that most often isn’t even yours to carry and lay it at Jesus’ feet. Then take His yoke and learn from Him! WHY? Well for one, His burden is light. It is lighter than what you carry around. It is lighter than your expectations for yourself. It is lighter than your hopes and dreams, than your schedule, than your house that HAS to be perfect. Also, He is gentle and humble so He isn’t a task master who expects more from you than you can give or who will oppress your spirit. He wants to teach you. He is easy on you, He won’t make you do more than you can nor will He force you into laboring for Him. He asks you to take His yoke, He doesn’t place it on you….Oh and if you take His yoke, here is the kicker, You can’t pick back up your burden. It has to stay at His feet. Pretty cool. Trading your burden, your sin, your shame, your pain, your fears for His yoke that is easy and light…Then is when we will find rest for our souls! Praise God we can rest in Him!!!